Hanako's Story (COMPLETED 18/08/2014)

[Minion of Chaos]

Two Posts in three days

A nice Christmas bonus! Glad to finally see this fic approach the good ending!

[Atario]

I like it, but I feel like Hanako is a little too in-the-know about the coming plot — she's anticipating and dreading "just friends". Few people see that coming; usually it takes a long time (months or even years) to realize that's what's happened.

[emmjay]

I like it, but I feel like Hanako is a little too in-the-know about the coming plot — she's anticipating and dreading "just friends". Few people see that coming; usually it takes a long time (months or even years) to realize that's what's happened.

Keep in mind, this is Hanako we're talking about here. She has a definite tendency to expect the worst out of relationships. And her thinking here is pretty spot on. If Hisao keeps trying to look after and protect her, they'll never be able to have a relationship as equals.

[bhtooefr]

Also, she's probably heard of the "friend zone".

[Sea]

the FF writer who ruined Christmas

[Trivun]

the FF writer who ruined Christmas

Awww, I was hoping this would be a nice present . I'll make sure the next updates are happy ones and make it up to everyone

[Kyler Thatch]

Well, I'm a fan of the bittersweet ending myself, so I consider this something of a treat.

I like the little struggle she has about whether she wants Hisao to come or not.

[Bad Apple]

A neutral good Christmas present, if I may say so myself. I liked the bittersweetness of it. Your Hanako has a sort of weird logic of her own. It makes the reader sympathize with her at face value, even when she herself acknowledges her logic is "paradoxical."

This is going at a decent pace. You'll be finished with this in no time... by Valentine's Day, perhaps? /hint hint

[Trivun]

Well, I'm a fan of the bittersweet ending myself, so I consider this something of a treat.

I like the little struggle she has about whether she wants Hisao to come or not.

My favourite is the good ending personally, but bittersweet endings make for more interesting conclusions to a story. It's like a stark reminder that real life is never perfect, but at the same time it's never all that bad and gives some hope for the future. After all, just see all the post-fics that take the Neutral ending (for any girl, not just Hanako) and turn them into good ones...

The struggle itself was, to tell the truth, more of a reflection of the fact that I could see something of a paradox based on the nature of the chaacter and my own interpretation so far. Essentially a little handy 'get-out-of-jail-free' card I wrote in to try and match what I'd written and intended to write with as accurate a portrayal as possible of Hanako. Hopefully I succeeded in that since I still think it fits the character very well, and given she's hardly in the right frame of mind around her birthday regardless of whether you're on the path to the good ending or the bad, you could definitely make the case that it's pretty accurate an assumption .

A neutral good Christmas present, if I may say so myself. I liked the bittersweetness of it. Your Hanako has a sort of weird logic of her own. It makes the reader sympathize with her at face value, even when she herself acknowledges her logic is "paradoxical."

This is going at a decent pace. You'll be finished with this in no time... by Valentine's Day, perhaps? /hint hint

I see what you did thar... (pirate talk FTW!)

Probably won't be done quite that soon, since the good ending now is a lot longer than either of the other endings, plus stuff's starting to pile up again now Christmas is done. As well as working full time my company sends me to university on day release, which is 50 miles away by car, so I can't get any writing done due to exhaustion on uni day (Tuesday). Plus I have an exam on the 28th and a coursework deadline next Tuesday, so my time is limited. I'll write whenever I can though, and I can guarantee that I'll have an update out for Valentine's Day (ideally at least one before and then another on the day, but don't hold me to that). I like the symbolism just as much as anyone else, and it's even more apt a day for starting/progressing the good ending and the road to lurve...

[Negativedarke]

My favourite is the good ending personally, but bittersweet endings make for more interesting conclusions to a story. It's like a stark reminder that real life is never perfect, but at the same time it's never all that bad and gives some hope for the future. After all, just see all the post-fics that take the Neutral ending (for any girl, not just Hanako) and turn them into good ones...

Although if you have a glass half empty mindset, you'll really fixate on the bitter a lot more than the sweet. Also I don't like it when it feels like authors felt they had to have a bittersweet or downer ending because they think it'd be less realistic/deep/whatever to do the straight up happy ending. To me the most important thing is that the ending feels natural and fits the work.

I actually like the neutral ending the least out of Hanako's endings. It lacks the moment of emotional catharxis you get in her other two endings. Good or bad, there is a huge emotional breakthrough, and it has undeniable impact to the reader.

Anyways fiction shouldn't try to always imitate life too much. That's why it's fiction.

[emmjay]

Anyways fiction shouldn't try to always imitate life too much. That's why it's fiction.

Truth is stranger than fiction. Because fiction has to make sense. (Unless you're James Joyce, anyway.)

[timetravelzero]

Oh god, I approve of this so much. I made an account just to say thank you for this fantastic side of the story.

[Trivun]

Anyways fiction shouldn't try to always imitate life too much. That's why it's fiction.

Truth is stranger than fiction. Because fiction has to make sense. (Unless you're James Joyce, anyway.)

Wasn't it James Joyce who wrote Finnegan's Wake? I actually want to attempt to read that, but I know that my mind would explode if I tried...

Oh god, I approve of this so much. I made an account just to say thank you for this fantastic side of the story.

Thanks for the support, and I'm actually pretty proud that I was the specific cause of someone creating an account on here . Makes me feel a bit like Yahtzee Croshaw... (him being the reason I joined the Escapist Magazine site, and many others like me doing the same...) Hope you enjoy the rest of the story, we're coming into the endgame now. Just the kings, a white knight and red queen, and a few pawns dotted about to populate the board...

And on that note, my coursework is all handed in, my sole exam was over yesterday, and I now have free time in the evenings after work again! Which means an update is about to be started, and will be forthcoming soon... watch this space

[timetravelzero]

Oh god, I approve of this so much. I made an account just to say thank you for this fantastic side of the story.

Thanks for the support, and I'm actually pretty proud that I was the specific cause of someone creating an account on here . Makes me feel a bit like Yahtzee Croshaw... (him being the reason I joined the Escapist Magazine site, and many others like me doing the same...) Hope you enjoy the rest of the story, we're coming into the endgame now. Just the kings, a white knight and red queen, and a few pawns dotted about to populate the board...

And on that note, my coursework is all handed in, my sole exam was over yesterday, and I now have free time in the evenings after work again! Which means an update is about to be started, and will be forthcoming soon... watch this space

I'm certain I will be as impressed as always, if not moreso. On that note, any rough idea on a date for your next installment?

[Trivun]

Oh god, I approve of this so much. I made an account just to say thank you for this fantastic side of the story.

Thanks for the support, and I'm actually pretty proud that I was the specific cause of someone creating an account on here . Makes me feel a bit like Yahtzee Croshaw... (him being the reason I joined the Escapist Magazine site, and many others like me doing the same...) Hope you enjoy the rest of the story, we're coming into the endgame now. Just the kings, a white knight and red queen, and a few pawns dotted about to populate the board...

And on that note, my coursework is all handed in, my sole exam was over yesterday, and I now have free time in the evenings after work again! Which means an update is about to be started, and will be forthcoming soon... watch this space

I'm certain I will be as impressed as always, if not moreso. On that note, any rough idea on a date for your next installment?

Not sure yet I'm afraid, normally I'd have said by Sunday evening as I'd write over the weekend, but on Saturday the Six Nations rugby tournament is starting and our house is hosting the first game among our friends (England v France), so I won't exactly have any time to write that day... Definitely before the end of the following week though. I'll try and make it as soon as possible, but I don't want to rush through it